Katie Das, global marketing manager for Diversey Consulting (a division of Sealed Air Corp.), told FoodProductionDaily it is vital for food-focused companies to develop and foster a strong safety culture.
“If your staff doesn’t know how to handle food and follow good safety and sanitation protocols, you’ve got a big problem,” she said. “You have to educate your staff, and make sure you have all your ducks in a row when it comes to sanitation standards.”
Multi-pronged approach
Diversey Consulting’s services comprise a comprehensive approach to overall operational safety, Das said. First, the company can help a processor craft a plan and set a strong foundation for implementing best-practice and HACCP-compliant programs.
The company’s network of consultants also can lend a hand to prepare, then execute, a food safety training program tailored to their plant’s needs. This includes classroom, e-learning, and on-the-job training; professional certification; refresher courses on crucial topics (minimizing risk from certain pathogens, allergen management, etc); and more.
Finally, Diversey Consulting’s support staff can assess the effectiveness of an organization’s safety program, and staff’s preparedness. If needed, the company’s staff can help fill any holes in a safety plan, or gaps in employee knowledge, with the appropriate training.
Supply-chain safety
Diversey and its fellow Sealed Air companies provide a range of technologies to ensure safety in the plant, and along the supply chain.
The TempTRIP RFID-based temperature sensing technology, for example, enables food firms, retailers, and other companies to ensure sensitive foods like meat, poultry, and frozen goods stay within safe parameters throughout their travels along their way to consumers’ homes.